The Risi Competizione Ferrari team, with drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Toni Vilander, are ready to take on the challenges of the Long Beach street race.The 100-minute BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach, Round Three on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, begins in the string of street races, after the first two endurances races of the season at Daytona and Sebring.The popular Houston, Texas based Risi Competizione Team hopes to repeat or better their second-place finish from last year and collect their first podium of the 2016 season at the 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit in Long Beach, California on Saturday, April 16.
The fan-favorite Southern California circuit has seen the Risi Competizione team take a victory in 2007, with Jamie Melo and Mika Salo in the Ferrari 430, and collected an additional podium finish that same year (3rd with second entry), as well as podium finishes in 2009 (2nd) and 2011 (3rd). Risi Competizione also has two poles at Long Beach in 2007 and 2010.This year Italian Giancarlo Fisichella will be making his third appearance at Long Beach. Last year the former Formula 1 star qualified the Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia in the third position and took the lead on the first lap. In the end, he finished second with Pierre Kaffer as his co-driver.Toni Vilander will be making just his second appearance at the Southern California street circuit, where he finished third in his only outing in 2011 in the Risi Competizione 458 GT, paired with Jaime Melo.Risi Competizione won the DEKRA Green Challenge Award at last month's 12 Hours of Sebring, their first of the season. It is awarded to the GT Le Mans (GTLM) competitor that is the most environmentally clean, fast and efficient in the class. The Risi Team won the honor at four races last year, including Sebring and Long Beach.
L to R: Pierre Kaffer and Giancarlo Fisichella finished in second place at Long Beach in 2015Rick Mayer, Risi Competizione Race Engineer:We are changing gears and going from endurance races to the only street race on the GTLM calendar. How do you prepare differently? "Not a lot changes really. The car prep is basically the same. Things like night lighting come off and that helps reduce the weight of the car. The homologation for the car has got so specific that we can't even run a sprint brake disc package this year. Long Beach has its own unique setup and with very limited and low quality practice time it's always a bit difficult to get the perfect setup."Since there is no minimum driver time, do you have a strategy going in for how to best use your drivers or do you allow the race to dictate pit decisions? "If there is a safety car, where they open the pits (not an IMSA short caution), I think you have to take it and do the drivers change right away. It's a 100 minute race but with the two pace and one recon (reconnaissance) lap we will be tight on fuel for a one-stop green race. If it goes green until you stop, then it's all done in that one pit stop. Qualifying well and quick pit work are always important at Long Beach."Toni Vilander, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:Long Beach is a very different kind of race and circuit -- just 100 minutes and a tight street circuit. How do you win a race like that?"Everything needs to work out perfectly -- fast car and good strategy. hopefully we will have enough top speed for the long front straight. It will be a close battle."
How do you like street races in general and what are your favorite things about them? What are the most challenging parts?"I do like street races a lot. You need to push yourself close to the limits every lap. The track improves all the time and you need to adapt yourself quickly to avoid contacts and sudden changes on the track. Street races require 120% concentration all the time. There is no time to relax."Giancarlo Fisichella, driver, No. 62 Ferrari 488 GTLM:You have said that Monaco is your favorite street course. What do you like about it and are there any similarities to the Long Beach circuit?"I feel very comfortable in Monaco. I had a few podiums in F1. At Long Beach it's another circuit. Obviously it is very different than Monaco but it's a nice circuit. We had good result last year in both qualifying and the race. I think it's a good circuit for us for the package. It's going to be tough but we will do our best."This will be your third time racing at Long Beach. Last year you managed a podium finish. What makes Long Beach such a unique and special race from a driver's standpoint? What does it take to win there?"It's a very historic circuit for many years. Formula 1 was here awhile ago, Indy Car is here and has been for many years. I think it is one of the most important races of the season. Also it is a very nice place to stay with nice restaurants. To win at Long Beach you need a good car, good traction at the end of the corners and good stability in the braking points."
Practice for the IMSA BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach begins at 7:40 a.m. PDT on Friday, April 15, with qualifying that afternoon beginning at 5:35 p.m. PDT. The race will start at 4:05 p.m. PDT on Saturday, April 16. Live timing and scoring is available for all on-track sessions at IMSA.com and the IMSA Smartphone app.Tune-In Information:The race will air live at 7:00 p.m. EDT (4:00 p.m. PDT) on FOX Sports 2 with tape-delayed broadcasts on FOX Sports 1 at 11:00 p.m. EDT (8:00 p.m. PDT) on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. EDT (9:30 a.m. PDT) on Sunday, April 17. It will be streamed live in its entirety for international audiences on IMSA.tv and the IMSA Mobile App. IMSA.tv. The IMSA mobile app will provide live in-car camera footage and IMSA Radio commentary throughout the race for all viewers. IMSA Radio will feature the broadcast team from Radio Le Mans. IMSA.tv also will stream audio from all practice and qualifying sessions, in addition to video from qualifying.
